The physiology and anatomy study in leaves of Saragolla and Svevo wheat cultivars under polyethylene glycol-simulated drought stress

Ilva Licaj; Chiara Germinario; Maria Chiara Di Meo; Ettore Varricchio; Mariapina Rocco

doi:10.1071/FP23151

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Next Contents Vol 51(2)

The physiology and anatomy study in leaves of Saragolla and Svevo wheat cultivars under polyethylene glycol-simulated drought stress

Ilva Licaj

^A , Chiara Germinario

^A , Maria Chiara Di Meo

^A , Ettore Varricchio

^A and Mariapina Rocco

^A ^*

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A Department of Science and Technology, University of Sannio, Benevento 82100, Italy.

^* Correspondence to: rocco@unisannio.it

Handling Editor: Wieland Fricke

Functional Plant Biology 51, FP23151 https://doi.org/10.1071/FP23151

Submitted: 24 May 2023 Accepted: 23 January 2024 Published: 8 February 2024

Abstract

Drought stress is increasing in frequency and severity with the progression of global climate change, thereby becoming a major concern for the growth and yield of crop plants, including wheat. The current challenge is to explore different ways of developing wheat genotypes with increased tolerance to drought. Therefore, we renewed interest in ‘ancient’ varieties expected to be more tolerant to environmental stress than the few elite varieties nowadays cultivated. This study aimed to perform comparative analysis of the effect of drought-simulating polyethylene glycol (PEG-6000) treatment on morpho-anatomical and physiological foliar traits of two durum wheat seedlings cultivars, Saragolla and Svevo, as these can reflect the adaptability of the plant to the environment to a certain extent. Results demonstrated that drought-stressed Saragolla leaves exhibited a greater reduction of stomatal density, a minor reduction of stomatal pore width, a wider xylem vessel mean area, greater compactness of mesophyll cells, a minor loss of chlorophyll content, as well as better photosynthetic and growth performance compared to the other variety. From such behaviours, we consider the Saragolla cultivar more drought tolerant than Svevo and therefore probably very promising for cultivation in dry areas.

Keywords: drought stress, leaf anatomy, leaf physiology, Saragolla cultivar, SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope), stomata, Svevo cultivar, wheat.

References

Abbate PE, Dardanelli JL, Cantarero MG, Maturano M, Melchiori RJM, Suero EE (2004) Climatic and water availability effects on water-use efficiency in wheat. Crop Science 44, 474-483.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Aguirrezabal L, Bouchier-Combaud S, Radziejwoski A, Dauzat M, Cookson SJ, Granier C (2006) Plasticity to soil water deficit in Arabidopsis thaliana: dissection of leaf development into underlying growth dynamic and cellular variables reveals invisible phenotypes. Plant, Cell & Environment 29, 2216-2227.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Akman H (2021) Assessment of morphological and anatomical variability in Triticum species, Aegilops species, interspecific and intergeneric hybrids. Notulae Scientia Biologicae 13, 10891.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Arenas-Corraliza MG, Rolo V, López-Díaz ML, Moreno G (2019) Wheat and barley can increase grain yield in shade through acclimation of physiological and morphological traits in Mediterranean conditions. Scientific Reports 9, 9547.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Arnon DI (1949) Copper enzymes in isolated chloroplasts. Polyphenoloxidase in Beta vulgaris. Plant Physiology 24, 1-15.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Arve LE, Torre S, Olsen JE, Tanino KK (2011) Stomatal responses to drought stress and air humidity. In ‘Abiotic stress in plants – mechanisms and adaptations’. (Eds AK Shanker, B Venkateswarlu) pp. 267–280. (IntechOpen: London, UK)

Bacelar EA, Correia CM, Moutinho-Pereira JM, Goncalves BC, Lopes JI, Torres-Pereira JMG (2004) Sclerophylly and leaf anatomical traits of five field-grown olive cultivars growing under drought conditions. Tree Physiology 24, 233-239.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Bayat H, Nemati H, Tehranifar A, Gazanchian A (2016) Screening different crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertner) accessions for drought stress tolerance. Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science 62, 769-780.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Ben Ahmed C, Ben Rouina B, Boukhris M (2007) Effects of water deficit on olive trees cv. Chemlali under field conditions in arid region in Tunisia. Scientia Horticulturae 113, 267-277.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Bertolino LT, Caine RS, Gray JE (2019) Impact of stomatal density and morphology on water-use efficiency in a changing world. Frontiers in Plant Science 10, 225.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Bosabalidis AM, Kofidis G (2002) Comparative effects of drought stress on leaf anatomy of two olive cultivars. Plant Science 163, 375-379.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Brito C, Dinis LT, Moutinho-Pereira J, Correia CM (2019) Drought stress effects and olive tree acclimation under a changing climate. Plants 8, 232.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Brown TC, Mahat V, Ramirez JA (2019) Adaptation to future water shortages in the United States caused by population growth and climate change. Earth’s Future 7, 219-234.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Búfalo J, Rodrigues TM, de Almeida LFR, Tozin LRdS, Marques MOM, Boaro CSF (2016) PEG-induced osmotic stress in Mentha x piperita L.: structural features and metabolic responses. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 105, 174-184.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Caine RS, Yin X, Sloan J, Harrison EL, Mohammed U, Fulton T, Biswal AK, Dionora J, Chater CC, Coe RA, Bandyopadhyay A, Murchie EH, Swarup R, Quick WP, Gray JE (2019) Rice with reduced stomatal density conserves water and has improved drought tolerance under future climate conditions. New Phytologist 221, 371-384.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Chaves MM, Flexas J, Pinheiro C (2009) Photosynthesis under drought and salt stress: regulation mechanisms from whole plant to cell. Annals of Botany 103, 551-560.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Chen Z, Xu J, Wang F, Wang L, Xu Z (2019) Morpho-physiological and proteomic responses to water stress in two contrasting tobacco varieties. Scientific Reports 9, 18523.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Clauw P, Coppens F, De Beuf K, Dhondt S, Van Daele T, Maleux K, Storme V, Clement L, Gonzalez N, Inzé D (2015) Leaf responses to mild drought stress in natural variants of Arabidopsis. Plant Physiology 167, 800-816.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Cornic G, Massacci A (1996) Leaf photosynthesis under drought stress. In ‘Photosynthesis and the environment’. (Ed. NR Baker) pp. 347–366. (Kluwer Academic Publishers: Dordrecht, Netherlands)

David OA, Osonubi O, Olaiya CO, Agbolade JO, Ajiboye AA, Komolafe RJ, Chukwuma DM, Akomolafe GF (2017) Anatomical response of wheat cultivars to drought stress. Ife Journal of Science 19, 323-331.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Dunn J, Hunt L, Afsharinafar M, Meselmani MA, Mitchell A, Howells R, Wallington E, Fleming AJ, Gray JE (2019) Reduced stomatal density in bread wheat leads to increased water-use efficiency. Journal of Experimental Botany 70, 4737-4748.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Fricke W, Bijanzadeh E, Emam Y, Knipfer T (2013) Root hydraulics in salt-stressed wheat. Functional Plant Biology 41, 366-378.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Galmés J, Flexas J, Savé R, Medrano H (2007) Water relations and stomatal characteristics of Mediterranean plants with different growth forms and leaf habits: responses to water stress and recovery. Plant and Soil 290, 139-155.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Gratani L (2014) Plant phenotypic plasticity in response to environmental factors. Advances in Botany 2014, 1-17.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Hajnajari H, Akbari H, Abdossi V (2019) Genesis of ultra-specialized histology with stable traits in mesophyll of drought tolerant apple cultivars. Scientia Horticulturae 249, 168-176.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Hamanishi ET, Thomas BR, Campbell MM (2012) Drought induces alterations in the stomatal development program in Populus. Journal of Experimental Botany 63, 4959-4971.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Hammed M, Mansoor U, Ashraf M, Rao R (2002) Variation in leaf anatomy in wheat germplasm from varying drought-hit habitats. International Journal of Agriculture & Biology 4, 12-16.
| Google Scholar |

He X, Xu L, Pan C, Gong C, Wang Y, Liu X, Yu Y (2020) Drought resistance of Camellia oleifera under drought stress: changes in physiology and growth characteristics. PLoS ONE 15, e0235795.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Hepworth C, Doheny-Adams T, Hunt L, Cameron DD, Gray JE (2015) Manipulating stomatal density enhances drought tolerance without deleterious effect on nutrient uptake. New Phytologist 208, 336-341.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Hu Y, Yang L, Gao C, Liao D, Long L, Qiu J, Wei H, Deng Q, Zhou Y (2022) A comparative study on the leaf anatomical structure of Camellia oleifera in a low-hot valley area in Guizhou Province, China. PLoS ONE 17, e0262509.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Hughes J, Hepworth C, Dutton C, Dunn JA, Hunt L, Stephens J, Waugh R, Cameron DD, Gray JE (2017) Reducing stomatal density in barley improves drought tolerance without impacting on yield. Plant Physiology 174, 776-787.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Kamal NM, Gorafi YSA, Mega R, Tsujimoto H (2018) Physiological response of wheat to chemical desiccants used to simulate post-anthesis drought stress. Agronomy 8, 44.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Kardiman R, Ræbild A (2018) Relationship between stomatal density, size and speed of opening in Sumatran rainforest species. Tree Physiology 38, 696-705.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Khalil AM, Murchie EH, Mooney SJ (2020) Quantifying the influence of water deficit on root and shoot growth in wheat using X-ray computed tomography. AoB Plants 12, plaa036.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Kosina P, Reynolds M, Dixon J, Joshi A (2007) Stakeholder perception of wheat production constraints, capacity building needs, and research partnerships in developing countries. Euphytica 157, 475-483.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Kumar L, Chhogyel N, Gopalakrishnan T, Hasan MK, Jayasinghe SL, Kariyawasam CS, Kogo BK, Ratnayake S (2022) Climate change and future of agri-food production. In ‘Future foods’. (Ed. R Bhat) pp. 49–79. (Academic Press)

Kusumi K, Hirotsuka S, Kumamaru T, Iba K (2012) Increased leaf photosynthesis caused by elevated stomatal conductance in a rice mutant deficient in SLAC1, a guard cell anion channel protein. Journal of Experimental Botany 63, 5635-5644.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Lawson T, Blatt MR (2014) Stomatal size, speed, and responsiveness impact on photosynthesis and water use efficiency. Plant Physiology 164, 1556-1570.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Li Y, Li H, Li Y, Zhang S (2017) Improving water-use efficiency by decreasing stomatal conductance and transpiration rate to maintain higher ear photosynthetic rate in drought-resistant wheat. The Crop Journal 5, 231-239.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Licaj I, Di Meo MC, Fiorillo A, Samperna S, Marra M, Rocco M (2023a) Comparative analysis of the response to polyethylene glycol-simulated drought stress in roots from seedlings of “modern” and “ancient” wheat varieties. Plants 12, 428.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Licaj I, Felice D, Germinario C, Zanotti C, Fiorillo A, Marra M, Rocco M (2023b) An artificial intelligence-integrated analysis of the effect of drought stress on root traits of “modern” and “ancient” wheat varieties. Frontiers in Plant Science 14, 1241281.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Luo L-P, Yu Z-W, Wang D, Zhang Y-L, Shi Y (2011) Effects of plant density and soil moisture on photosynthetic characteristics of flag leaf and accumulation and distribution of dry matter in wheat. Acta Agronomica Sinica 37, 1049-1059 10.1016/S1875-2780(11)60030-8.
| Google Scholar |

Mafakheri A, Siosemardeh A, Bahramnejad B, Struik PC, Sohrabi E (2010) Effect of drought stress on yield, proline and chlorophyll contents in three chickpea cultivars. Australian Journal of Crop Science 4, 580-585.
| Google Scholar |

Mansoor U, Fatima S, Hameed M, Naseer M, Ahmad MSA, Ashraf M, Ahmad F, Waseem M (2019) Structural modifications for drought tolerance in stem and leaves of Cenchrus ciliaris L. ecotypes from the Cholistan Desert. Flora 261, 151485.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Matesanz S, Ramos-Muñoz M, Moncalvillo B, Rubio Teso ML, García de Dionisio SL, Romero J, Iriondo JM (2020) Plasticity to drought and ecotypic differentiation in populations of a crop wild relative. AoB Plants 12, plaa006.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Miyazawa S-I, Livingston NJ, Turpin DH (2006) Stomatal development in new leaves is related to the stomatal conductance of mature leaves in poplar (Populus trichocarpa×P. deltoides). Journal of Experimental Botany 57, 373-380.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Nadal M, Flexas J (2018) Mesophyll conductance to CO₂ diffusion: effects of drought and opportunities for improvement. In ‘Water scarcity and sustainable agriculture in semiarid environment’. (Eds IF García Tejero, VH Durán Zuazo) pp. 403–438. (Academic Press: Cambridge, MA, USA)

Nicotra AB, Atkin OK, Bonser SP, Davidson AM, Finnegan EJ, Mathesius U, Poot P, Purugganan MD, Richards CL, Valladares F, van Kleunen M (2010) Plant phenotypic plasticity in a changing climate. Trends in Plant Science 15, 684-692.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Nyachiro JM, Briggs KG, Hoddinott J, Johnson-Flanagan AM (2001) Chlorophyll content, chlorophyll fluorescence and water deficit in spring wheat. Cereal Research Communications 29, 135-142.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Oertli JJ, Lips SH, Agami M (1990) The strength of sclerophyllous cells to resist collapse due to negative turgor pressure. Acta Oecologica 11, 281-289.
| Google Scholar |

Osakabe Y, Osakabe K, Shinozaki K, Tran L-SP (2014) Response of plants to water stress. Frontiers in Plant Science 5, 86.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Pereyra MA, Garcia P, Colabelli MN, Barassi CA, Creus CM (2012) A better water status in wheat seedlings induced by Azospirillum under osmotic stress is related to morphological changes in xylem vessels of the coleoptile. Applied Soil Ecology 53, 94-97.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Pintó-Marijuan M, Munné-Bosch S (2014) Photo-oxidative stress markers as a measure of abiotic stress-induced leaf senescence: advantages and limitations. Journal of Experimental Botany 65, 3845-3857.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Raza A, Razzaq A, Mehmood SS, Zou X, Zhang X, Lv Y, Xu J (2019) Impact of climate change on crops adaptation and strategies to tackle its outcome: a review. Plants 8, 34.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Reynolds-Henne CE, Langenegger A, Mani J, Schenk N, Zumsteg A, Feller U (2010) Interactions between temperature, drought and stomatal opening in legumes. Environmental and Experimental Botany 68, 37-43.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Rodrigues O, Shan L (2022) Stomata in a state of emergency: H₂O₂ is the target locked. Trends in Plant Science 27, 274-286.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Saha S, Begum HH, Nasrin S, Samad R (2020) Effects of drought stress on pigment and protein contents and antioxidant enzyme activities in five varieties of rice (Oryza sativa L.). Bangladesh Journal of Botany 49, 997-1002.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Schulze E-D, Hall AE (1982) Stomatal responses, water loss and CO₂ assimilation rates of plants in contrasting environments. In ‘Physiological plant ecology II’. (Eds OL Lange, PS Nobel, CB Osmond, H Ziegler) pp. 181–230. (Springer)

Smirnoff N (1995) ‘Environment and plant metabolism: flexibility and acclimation.’ (BIOS Scientific Publishers)

Syvertsen JP, Lloyd J, McConchie C, Kriedemann PE, Farquhar GD (1995) On the relationship between leaf anatomy and CO₂ diffusion through the mesophyll of hypostomatous leaves. Plant, Cell & Environment 18, 149-157.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) (2022) ICCD/COP(15)/11.GE.22-02519(E). Available at https://www.unccd.int/sites/default/files/2022-03/ICCD_COP%2815%29_11-2202519E.pdf [Accessed 2 May 2022]

von Mogel HK (2013) Interactions key to beating future droughts. CSA News, 58, 4–9. doi:10.2134/csa2013-58-2-1

Wentworth M, Murchie EH, Gray JE, Villegas D, Pastenes C, Pinto M, Horton P (2006) Differential adaptation of two varieties of common bean to abiotic stress: II. Acclimation of photosynthesis. Journal of Experimental Botany 57, 699-709.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Wright STC, Hiron RWP (1969) (+)-Abscisic acid, the growth inhibitor induced in detached wheat leaves by a period of wilting. Nature 224, 719-720.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Xu Z, Zhou G (2008) Responses of leaf stomatal density to water status and its relationship with photosynthesis in a grass. Journal of Experimental Botany 59, 3317-3325.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Xue Q, Zhu Z, Musick JT, Stewart BA, Dusek DA (2006) Physiological mechanisms contributing to the increased water-use efficiency in winter wheat under deficit irrigation. Journal of Plant Physiology 163, 154-164.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Yan W, Zhong Y, Shangguan Z (2016) A meta-analysis of leaf gas exchange and water status responses to drought. Scientific Reports 6, 20917.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Ye J, Wang S, Zhang F, Xie D, Yao Y (2013) Proteomic analysis of leaves of different wheat genotypes subjected to PEG 6000 stress and rewatering. Plant Omics 6, 286-294.
| Google Scholar |

Yin Q, Tian T, Kou M, Liu P, Wang L, Hao Z, Yue M (2020) The relationships between photosynthesis and stomatal traits on the Loess Plateau. Global Ecology and Conservation 23, e01146.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Yu Q, Zhang Y, Liu Y, Shi P (2004) Simulation of the stomatal conductance of winter wheat in response to light, temperature and CO₂ changes. Annals of Botany 93, 435-441.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Zaefyzadeh M, Quliyev RA, Babayeva SM, Abbasov MA (2009) The effect of the interaction between genotypes and drought stress on the superoxide dismutase and chlorophyll content in durum wheat landraces. Turkish Journal of Biology 33, 1-7.
| Google Scholar |

Zhang H, Niu X, Liu J, Xiao F, Cao S, Liu Y (2013) RNAi-directed downregulation of vacuolar H⁺-ATPase subunit A results in enhanced stomatal aperture and density in rice. PLoS ONE 8, e69046.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Zhang F-J, Zhang K-K, Du C-Z, Li J, Xing Y-X, Yang L-T, Li Y-R (2015) Effect of drought stress on anatomical structure and chloroplast ultrastructure in leaves of sugarcane. Sugar Tech 17, 41-48.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Zhao L, Li Y, Xie Q, Wu Y (2017) Loss of CDKC;2 increases both cell division and drought tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana. The Plant Journal 91, 816-828.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

The physiology and anatomy study in leaves of Saragolla and Svevo wheat cultivars under polyethylene glycol-simulated drought stress

Abstract

References

Subscriber Login